Golf ball testing machine



April 7, 1942. R. ATTI 2,278,416

' I GOLF BALL TESTING MAbHINE Filed June 11, 1940 n'l'l'l'liiiiiiil INVENTOR ATTORNEY 641 4 47-77. I BY Q Patented Apr. 7, 1942 OFFICE -GOLF;BALL TESTING MACHINE URaphael Atti, CliffsidePark, N. J. Application June 11, 1940, Serial No. 339,839

1 3 Claims.

This invention relates-to machines for testing the hardness of material in'general and more especiallyto machines 'for'testing the hardness of golf balls or'their resistance'to pressure.

It has long. been recognized that withincertain limitations, the value of a golf ballismainly determined by the hardness of the same or its resistance to pressure. Furthermore, unlessextreme care is exercised in the method or manufacture and the'selection of materials used, it is very difiicult tomanufacture a'batch of'goliballs of equal hardness or equal resistance to pressure within predetermined limits, Still furthermore, the components of a golf ball, rubber components as an instance;- will "deteriorate with time whether the-golf ball is used or'not resulting in a change of hardnessofi'theball and consequent change in its quality. Consequently the need-has arisen; especially: at golf tournaments vthat some meansbexprovidedfor quickly testing thegolf' balls to be played-r-in a tournamentson the field preparatory" to- 'play so" that :the players tin the tournament maybe assuredof .balls' measuring up to 1 a :predetermined :"standard, 1 such for 'instance as r the tournament standard-i extensively adopted in the ,UnitedStates. .In 'viewgotthe foregoingjitisanobject of'the presentiinvention 'to provideaan improved :portable: machine which can with-.facilityiberset ;up;on ;the field or wherever desired to test the golfzballs. to beiused preparatory to play, at least;as--to theirxhardness or their'resistance to'spressure.

These and other.features,:capabilities'zand advantages of theinvention.zwillwappearfrom the subjoined detailed "description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated :in the :accompanying drawing in'which Figure l is a i front elevation "partly in section of this testing machine;

Fig. '2 is a side elevation'of :a machine partly in section on a smaller scale than that shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is'a transverse section on the line3- -3 ofFi 1.

In theembcdiment shown, there is provided abase I fromwhich two arms Z'and 3"extend upwardly and terminate in the vertically extending cylindrical chambered portion 4. The arms 2 and 3 are provided withthe. journal bosses 5 and ii in alinement with one another to receive the shaft 1 which is keyed. to .the slotted drum 8 having a pin 9 eccentrically connecting thelink it thereto to oscillate...in.the slot, which.link I'll ispivotally connected vto the pin ll extending -..I

' "spectively .to anchor the extensions Mend. 15. posts ltan'd l9are'also provided 'with dimin- 'ished screw threaded portions22' and 23 respecthrough the plunger lZ slidably mounted in the chambered portion l 7 As shown, the link l0 engages the pin H substantially centrally ofthe cylinder l2, the slot 13 being providedin the plunger l2 to receive the link i 0. 'Atthe upper end of'the chambered portion4 and preferably projecting from opposite sides thereof,"there-are provided the two extensions Ia and H's-provided with vertically extending openings to receive the diminished screw threaded portions it. ll, respectively extending .down from" the posts 18 and l9 respectively."

The'portions l6 and I1 :arelong-enough to protrude from the lower end of the extensions-l4 :and' I5 and there receivethenuts t'fl and '2l 'reposts l8* and l 9 to the "The-upper :endsor the tively which extend through the extensions24 :andz25 respectively of the bracket 2fi.

The portions 22 and-23 are'long enough to extend through the extensions 24 and'25 and receive at their'upper ends thenuts21 and'28 respectively. Thernut fl isscr'ewed down tightly against the upper face of the extension 24 to lock the bracket 26 andpostl 8 together. Between the nut 28 and theextensionZS, there is prefer- ;ably provided, as here shown, a stopfinger 29.

Consequently whenthe nut"28 is screwed down rintotplace, it will not only anchor the bracket 26 -.andpost l9 to'one another but also serve to fix the stop finger'ZS inplace.

The bracket "26 preferably has a cylindrical chambertll to 'receive'the cylindrical head 3| connected to the'lower'endof the stem 32 which extends" through the plate-33 secured tothe upperend of "the bracket2li. "In order to limit the downward 'movement'of the stem, thereby also'the downward movement of the cylindrical "head 3!, the upper end of the stem'32 is provided with a head ordisc 34.

In the present instance above'the disc 34, there is formed a polygonal shapedxextension 35. Between the plate 33 rand the cylindrical head 3 I, there is positioned a spring'36 of standard construction. In the present instance, the spring shown is square inrcrossesection. Preferably also .thedisc 34 and head 3| are so positioned that the spring is under tension when positioned between the two.

Above the plate 33, there is positionedthe inverted cup-shaped frame 31 having flange;38, to .receivetthe screws ;passing...through thegdisc 533 rand .in screw threaded'a'engagementvwith the upper portion 43 of the bracket 26 thereby not only to anchor the frame 31 in position but also to anchor the disc 33 to the bracket 26 and thereby confine the spring 36 to movement in the chamber 30.

The upper portion 44 of the frame 31 is preferably provided with a, vertically extended cylindrical chamber to receive the neck 45 extending down from the dial housing 46 of the indicating mechanism. The portion 44 is preferably split or provided with a division with the ears 4'! and 48 extending laterally therefrom as shown in Fig. 2 to receive the clamp screw 49 to press the split portions together and thereby securely anchor the neck 45 in place. Operatively connected to the indicating mechanism in the dial housing 46, there is provided the stem slidably mounted in the neck 45.

The article, as an instance the golf ball 52 of which the hardness is to be measured is preferably centered on the upper plane face of the plunger I2 by the mat 53 preferably composed of some suitable yieldable substance, such as rubher, and provided with a central opening large enough so that the ball 52 will freely engage the upper face of the plunger I2 when so positioned. The lower face of the head 3| likewise is preferably plane as shown so that, there will be a one point contact both between the ball 52 and the head 3| and between the ball 52 and plunger I2.

In the operation of the testing machine after the ball 52 is centered by the mat 53 relative to the plunger I2, the handle 54 which is pinned to the shaft 1 is swung upwardly until it engages the stop arm 29 which is so positioned that in this position of the arm 54, the link II] will be substantially vertical where the ball 52 will have engaged the head 3| and have raised the head 3| a distance corresponding to the degree of hardness of the ball. In other words, it will require a pressure of two hundred pounds after the ball engages the head 3| in order to start compressing the spring 36 and to compress the spring the distance corresponding to the distance between the upper face of the head 35 shown in Fig. 1 and the lower end of the stem 5| will require another one hundred pounds.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that before the indicator registers, the ball will have to withstand at least a pressure of three hundred pounds. If the ball 52 collapses too readily to enable the stem 5| to be raised, it will mean that the ball 52 will collapse for a predetermined distance at least equal or greater than the normal distance between the lower end of the stem 5| and the upper face of the head 3| with a pressure of three hundred pounds or less. If, on the other hand, the degree of hardness is such that it will require more than a pressure of three hundred pounds to collapse the ball a predetermined distance, according to the present machine, the stem 5| will then be raised to actuate the indicating mechanism to indicate pressures greater than. three hundred pounds.

As an instance, it has been determined that with a golf ball of the present standard diameter of 1.68 inches where the distance at the highest position of the plunger I2 between the upper face of the plunger I2 and the lower face of the head 3| without any movement of the head 3| is 1.375 inches, then a pressure of three hundred and ten pounds or less would determine the type of ball that is today in a class worth twenty-five cents or less per piece and in turn when the pressure indicated is more than three hundred and ten pounds and less than three hundred and thirty pounds, the ball being tested will be in a. class today worth thirty-five cents or less per piece. When the pressure indicated is between three hundred and thirty pounds and three hundred and fifty pounds, the ball being tested will be in the class worth fifty cents or less per piece. When the pressure is between three hundred and fifty pounds and three hundred and seventy pounds, then the ball being tested will be in the class worth seventy-five cents or less which is today known as the durable type of ball and when the pressure indicated is over three hundred and seventy pounds, then the ball being tested will be in the tournament class.

To facilitate reading the pressures and thereby facilitate classifying the balls being tested, it is contemplated as shown in Fig. 1 that the zone on thedial of the housing 46 between zero and 10 pounds will be colored white, the zone between 10 pounds and 30 pounds will be colored orange, the zone between 30 pounds and pounds will be colored green, the zone between fifty pounds and seventy pounds will be colored blue, the zone between seventy pounds and ninety pounds will be colored red and the zone between ninety pounds and back to zero, will also be colored white.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a base having an upwardly extending bracket portion, a bracket, means for connecting said bracket portion and bracket to one another but spaced from one another a distance exceeding the diameter of the type of golf ball to be tested, said means connecting diametrically opposite upper ends of said bracket portion to diametrically opposite lower ends of said bracket, said bracket portion and bracket having elongated alined cylindrical openings, an elongated cylindrical plunger conforming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket portion, to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening of said bracket portion and provided with an upper golf ball receiving face, a shaft extending through said bracket portion below its cylindrical opening, an eccentric on said shaft, a link connecting said eccentric to the central lower portion of said plunger, a lever fixed to said shaft, a cylindrical head con-- forming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening in said bracket, an abutment at the upper end of said bracket, a guide rod slidably mounted in said abutment and extending down and connected to said head, a stop at the upper end of said guide rod slidably to anchor said head and guide rod in said bracket, a spring interposed between said abutment and said head, and a hardness registering indicator mounted at the upper end of said bracket and having a hardness sensing stem in the path of movement of said stop to cooperate with said spring in turn to indicate the hardness of the golf ball to be tested.

2. The combination of a base having an upwardly extending bracket portion, a bracket, means for connecting said bracket portion and bracket to one another but spaced from one an other a distance exceeding the diameter of the type of golf ball to be tested, said means connecting diametrically opposite upper ends of said bracket portion to diametrically opposite lower end of said bracket, said bracket portion and bracket having elongated alined cylindrical openings, an elongated cylindrical plunger conforming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket portion, to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening of said bracket portion and provided with an upper golf ball receiving face, a shaft extending through said bracket portion below its cylindrical opening, an eccentric on said shaft, a link connecting said eccentric to the central lower portion of said plunger, a lever fixed to said shaft, a cylindrical head conforming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening in said bracket, an abutment at the upper end of said bracket, a guide rod slidably mounted in said abutment and extending down and connected to said head, a stop at the upper end of said guide rod slidably to anchor said head and guide rod in said bracket, a spring interposed between said abutment and said head, and a hardness registering indicator mounted at the upper end of said bracket and having a hardness sensing stem in the path of movement of said stop to cooperate with said spring in turn to indicate the hardness of the golf ball to be tested, and a yieldable annular seat on the upper golf .ball receiving face of said plunger, said golf ball receiving face being normally disposed below the upper end of said cylindrical opening in said bracket portion to cooperate with the yieldable annular seat in centering the golf ball to be tested.

3. The combination of a base having an upwardly extending bracket portion, a bracket, means for connecting said bracket portion and bracket to one another but spaced from one antype of golf ball to be tested, said means connecting diametrically opposite upper ends of said bracket portion to diametrically opposite lower ends of said bracket, said bracket portion and bracket having elongated alined cylindrical openings, an elongated cylindrical plunger conforming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket portion, to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening of said bracket portion and provided with an upper golf ball receiving face, a shaft extending through said bracket portion below its cylindrical opening, an eccentric on said shaft, a link connecting said eccentric to the central lower portion of said plunger, a lever fixed to said shaft, a cylindrical head conforming to the cylindrical opening in said bracket to be guided by, and movably mounted in, the cylindrical opening in said bracket, an abutment at the upper end of said bracket, a guide rod slidably mounted in said abutment and extending down and connected to said head, a stop at the upper end of said guide rod slidably to anchor said head and guide rod in said bracket, a spring interposed between said abutment and said head, and a hardness registering indicator mounted at the upper end of said bracket and having a hardness sensing stem in the path of movement of said stop to cooperate with said spring in turn to indicate the hardness of the golf ball to be tested, said head normally extending below the lower level of said bracket so that the lower face of said bracket will at all times clear the golf ball to be tested during the testing operation.

RAPHAEL ATTI. 

